SINGAPORE, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Motion Picture Association (MPA) today announced the appointment of Paul Muller as Vice President, Production Policy, Asia‑Pacific.

In this role, Muller will lead the MPA’s engagement with governments across the Asia‑Pacific region to advance policies that support the production of local and international film and television, strengthening the region’s position as a globally competitive production hub. He will report to Trevor Fernandes, Senior Vice President & Deputy Managing Director, Head of Policy & Government Affairs, Asia‑Pacific.

Muller brings deep regional expertise to the role and will continue to serve concurrently as Chief Executive Officer of the MPA’s local office, Australia New Zealand Screen Association (ANZSA), where he has been a leading advocate for screen production policy reform.

Urmila Venugopalan, President and Managing Director, Asia‑Pacific, Motion Picture Association, welcomed the appointment. “Paul has made an outstanding contribution to production policy in Australia and New Zealand, delivering tangible outcomes for governments, local screen communities and our member studios,” said Venugopalan. “His leadership has helped unlock record levels of investment, grow skilled workforces and position both markets as premier destinations for local and international production. We’re delighted to have Paul take on this expanded regional role at a time when shaping production policy is central to the growth of the screen industry across Asia‑Pacific.”

During his tenure at ANZSA, Muller has been a key advocate for improvements to Australia’s screen production incentive system, contributing to a record AUD$2.6 billion investment in scripted screen content. In New Zealand, his work to support a more streamlined incentive framework underpinned NZD$1.25 billion in international production investment, helping expand employment and skills across the screen sector.

Muller said he was honoured to be appointed to the regional role. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to take on this position and excited to work more closely with governments across the Asia‑Pacific region,” said Muller. “The region has extraordinary creative talent and production capability, and I’m committed to doing everything I can to support policies that enable sustainable growth and deliver the best outcomes for the screen community across the entire region.”

Prior to joining ANZSA, Muller held senior commercial leadership roles in the global entertainment industry, including Vice President & Managing Director of Paramount Home Media Distribution Australia for a decade. Earlier in his career, he held senior marketing and sales roles at EMI Music and Universal Music in the Netherlands, following earlier experience at Procter & Gamble. He holds Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Civil Engineering.

The Motion Picture Association’s member studios are Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO.

SINGAPORE, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As retailers across Southeast Asia face rising operational complexity, shifting consumer expectations and margin pressure, demand is growing for integrated, real-time retail operating systems.

Dmall Inc. (02586.HK) is supporting this shift with a unified retail operating platform that connects core retail functions, improves execution efficiency and enhances visibility across stores, supply chains and customer touchpoints.

As one of China’s largest retail digital solutions providers by revenue and gross merchandise volume, Dmall serves nearly 600 retail clients across 11 countries and regions. Its platform has been shaped by large-scale deployments in complex retail environments, including long-standing work with Wumart Group, Metro, Lawson, 7-Eleven South China and SM Group in Southeast Asia.

Dmall’s recent collaboration with Cold Storage Singapore marks a milestone in supporting retail digital transformation across Southeast Asia. Completed within seven months, the project covered 87 stores across supermarket, hypermarket and express formats, consolidating multiple systems into a single platform across supply chain, merchandising and store operations.

“The transition was completed with minimal disruption to our operations,” said Mr. Lim Boon Chiong, Managing Director of Cold Storage Singapore. “We are seeing early improvements in product availability and replenishment, supported by better visibility across our supply chain and store network.”

The platform has also contributed to more consistent store execution and a more reliable customer experience. The first phase provides a foundation for the next stage of development, including AI-driven capabilities to further support product availability, freshness management and operational efficiency.

Dmall and Cold Storage Singapore plan to extend their cooperation to the fuel and convenience store format in June 2026, reflecting a deepening partnership and a shared commitment to creating greater operational value across retail formats.

“Southeast Asia is one of the world’s most dynamic retail markets, but also one of the most operationally complex,” said Mr. Zhongwei Ren, Partner and Chief Strategy Officer of Dmall. “By combining operational integration with AI-driven capabilities, Dmall aims to help retailers build more adaptive, scalable and efficient operations.”

About Dmall 

Founded in 2015, Dmall (02586.HK) is committed to advancing retail through technology. As one of Asia’s leading providers of digital retail solutions, Dmall delivers integrated, AI-driven innovations that help retailers improve efficiency, optimize decisions and create greater value.

– Ranks top in Global Industry ESG ratings, joins World, Asia Pacific, Korea Indices simultaneously

SEOUL, South Korea, May 04, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — KT&G (KRX: 033780) has joined the top-tier “Dow Jones Best-in-Class (DJBIC)” index, the “World Index” for two consecutive years. It has also been included in the “Asia Pacific” and “Korea” indices, being recognized for world-tier ESG management activities. 

The Dow Jones Sustainability Index is an annual sustainability rating published by the world’s largest financial information provider, “S&P Global”, and presents to global investors the standard for responsible investments. Out of top 2500 global companies by market capitalization, only those showing top 10% of ESG-performance are included in the top-tier “World Index.”

KT&G was ranked top within its industry, recognized for its endeavors to reinforce sustainability across all fields of governance, environmental, and social.

KT&G has proven its governance excellence in line with global standards, receiving top ratings across various items including board independence, diversity policies, and ESG governance structure. In the “environment” field, the company’s systematic climate change response and water resource management measures based on its “2030 Green Impact” environmental management vision was highly rated. In the “social” field, high scores were given to items such as execution of human rights management.

Last December, KT&G was recognized for its world-class ESG management performance and received a “AAA” ESG Index rating from MSCI, a top-class investment information provider, for the first time in the respective industry.

KT&G’s ESG management director, Young-ah Shim, stated that “KT&G’s effort to achieve sophisticated ESG management has been objectively evaluated and recognized by the global capital market, resulting in the inclusion in the World Index,” going on to further state “the company will strengthen its ESG management execution in line with core business reinforcement and continue to establish itself as a trusted company to stakeholders.”

GUANGZHOU, China, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At the 139th Canton Fair, the Fashion category brought forward the core priorities reshaping the industry: sustainability, performance technology, and design‑driven specialization. Exhibitors demonstrated how China’s fashion supply chain is evolving to meet the expectations of environmentally conscious and lifestyle‑driven consumers worldwide.

Leading the surge in low-carbon textiles, a Guangdong-based company introduced high-performance apparel featuring carbon-capture technology. The development of “carbon-capture” beach shorts represents a breakthrough in negative-carbon production, successfully securing orders in the U.S. market. Complementing this is the integration of a bio-based material used in windbreakers that offers both environmental sustainability and superior durability. Through deep collaboration across the material R&D and manufacturing sectors, the enterprise has established a traceable, green supply chain that aligns with rigorous international standards.

Innovation in functional knitwear is further exemplified by another Guangdong-based company, which showcased plant-dyed infant garments and UV-sensitive color-changing apparel. By utilizing natural dyes like madder and gardenia, the company offers chemical-free solutions for the children’s market. Additionally, the use of biodegradable collagen‑fiber and Modal‑blend sweaters demonstrates the company’s dedication to sustainable materials that support a more circular product lifecycle.

The sports and outdoor sector also witnessed significant technological advancements. A Hangzhou-based company unveiled its latest cycling jacket, which utilizes precision weaving to achieve full wind-proofing and water resistance without sacrificing breathability. Similarly, a company from Wuhan displayed high-tech sun-protection apparel featuring moisture-wicking properties and innovative packable designs that transform garments into portable crossbody bags. These developments reflect a broader trend of merging urban-tech aesthetics with practical safety features.

Design-driven specialization remains a key strategy for penetrating niche markets. Some companies are leveraging European design perspectives to customize footwear for specific regional aesthetics, particularly in France and Italy; while some continue to expand their footprint in North America and Russia with original designs that span from business-chic to luxury leisure.

The fashion showcase at the 139th Canton Fair continues to highlight a supply chain that responds with agility to shifting international demands. By evolving beyond traditional manufacturing, China’s fashion ecosystem has become a primary driver of creative and sustainable growth within the global market.

For pre-registration, please click: https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16